Regarding logojets, there have been plenty of examples of them over the years. Probably the most famous was the Western Pacific Simpsons Logojet. It was most recently done by Skybus with Nationwide Insurance, and on the other side of the Pond, it’s a far more common occurrence.

You seem to satirize this proposal, when in fact I think you should embrace it. These advertisements will provide reinforced messages that all passengers will see, as opposed to a “five-second gaze” on a highway billboard.

While Spirit has announced this initiative, it is not the first airline to have advertising on its airplanes. Dunkin’ Donuts and DirecTV’s deals to provide coffee and television on jetBlue flights give them advertising space on cups and seat backs. Snacks on a jetBlue flight also come in their original packaging as opposed to packaging with the airline’s brand on it.

We must also consider whether this opens the door to advertising on the exterior of an airplane. Last year, some of the cars on Amtrak’s Acela Express ran the northeast corridor with an external wrap advertising the History Channel’s “1968 with Tom Brokaw.” An airplane’s exterior must have that airline’s logo on it (something Amtrak can avoid with its monopoly on rail transportation), but will we see that logo share space with another organization’s one of these days?

I gotta fly Air Asia soon, thankfully it will be very early in the morning after 20+ hours of flying, so I won’t mind the pain.

All that cranky all over the plane..oy!

The only bad things about ads on planes is that you will have bored people with ink pens and magic markers doing their own ‘art’ work on the ads. I’m sure parents will love the creative language their child will be looking at for 5 hours across country. Will airlines have to hire more workers to clean and replace those ads every day when they are defaced. Should be interesting to see how this plays out.

I kind of would have expected Southwest to do it here, first, though. Why did you think Spirit, Cranky?

And your CF ad is terrifying. Hilarious, but terrifying. ;)

Interestingly, while they have been going on for a while about trying to sell ads on seatbacks, overhead bins and the exterior of the plan, I have never seen another company’s ads on these locations. I don’t know for certain, but I would guess that there just haven’t been that many takers for this kind of advertising space.

Budget airlines have a model of a single aircraft type which means they can switch aircraft at short notice if need be – this means they can’t always guarantee which route a plane will fly – particularly important to advertisers in Europe who want to focus ads on one particular country. Further, does a company risk its brand being devalued or at least losing a bit of control of its brand if too closely associated by consumers with Ryanair ? Brand awareness needs 5 seconds – putting it in front of someone for 3 hours may well be counterproductive and the marketing people may know this !

If I was a marketing exec for a multinational, I’d be keen to maintain brand control and avoid being seen too closely with a particular airline that does not have a reputation for always being consumer friendly.